AAA Study: Vehicles Aged 10+ Years Far Likelier to Break Down

April 20, 2018—Recent research by AAA noted that vehicles 10 years and older are twice as likely to end up on roadsides following breakdowns compared to newer vehicles. What’s more, AAA data shows that, when vehicles are 10 years old or more, the odds of needing a tow quadruples.

In 2017, 67 percent of calls that AAA received for roadside assistance were for vehicles 10 years or older. And, with more than half of all cars on U.S. roadways aged 10 years or more, AAA urges drivers to limit the chance of breakdown by getting their vehicle serviced at a repair facility, and having their battery, engine, and tires checked.

AAA projects that, in summer 2018, there will be nearly 7.7 million roadside tows throughout the nation.

“Drivers may skip taking their car in for an inspection, hoping to avoid an expensive repair bill,” said Martha Mitchell Meade, a manager of public and government affairs with AAA, in a press release. “But, when you factor in the cost of an interrupted trip, having a vehicle inspected and proactively repaired will cost much less in the long run.”